Except for maybe one big snoop.

While I usually have a specific reason for venturing into the warehouses, I also know it's a bit dangerous because there are so many distractions.  Good distractions... occasionally "costly" distractions.  It seems I keep finding things I didn't know I absolutely couldn't live without until I saw it in a box on the shelf.

So today is about sharing some of my recent finds - and a few things I keep forgetting to mention.

A month or so ago, Ducky happened upon a new light we'd just received.  She thought it looked interesting so she opened the box, pulled it out, set it up and ::: angels sang :::.  She then shared her discovery and within minutes, the warehouse was out-of-stock.  More were ordered.  They disappeared just as quickly.  More were ordered and now there are enough to share.

The LED Slimline Table Lamp from The Daylight Company.

Here's what we love about this light -

• It's unobtrusive - the "tube" for the light is less than 1" in diameter so it's not constantly in your field of view when you have the light positioned over the front of your sewing machine.

 

• The on-off switch is on the base of the lamp - it's the black oval approx. 2" above the base on the left in the picture above.  To turn the lamp on-off, you only need to run your finger over the switch.
• With the light positioned as it is on the front of the box, the height is 23" and from the base to the tip of the light bar, is 38" long.
• There are two flexible "joint" on the lamp - the two angles in the picture - that allow the height, position and angle of the light to be exactly where you want it to be.  The third picture - the one on the far right - shows how the light can be adjusted.
• The area illuminated by the lamp is wider than most "spot" lamps as there are 15" of continuous LED bulbs in the bar at the top.
• The base clamps to the table, making it easy to find the exact spot that works for your needs and preference.  The clamp is very secure - we tested that and found it to be very stable.  There is a base available for the lamp but for use with a sewing machine, the clamp means one less thing on the sewing table.

The Daylight Company also makes a terrific small flip-light - it's also an LED light.  It's called the Smart Light.

I've been piecing quite a few things lately that used a "connector corner" and I found myself using a tool I'd forgotten about - the Folded Corner Clipper by Prairie Sky.

I like this for two reasons - first, I prefer to have a seam allowance than drawing a line or "eyeballing" it.  (Though I will confess to doing that for squares less than 1 1/2"... just saying.)  Second, if I want to over-size my corners to square up my blocks, this tool lets me trim the corners on the main piece.  The "corner triangles" are then cut a square 1/2" to 5/8" larger than the size specified for the "corner-square", cut in half to make triangles and attach.  Press and square up the corner.  (It works every time.)

I've also been using Clearly Perfect Angles by Kari Carr of New Leaf Stitches.  I used to use The Angler but I've gotten to like the cling-thing so I'm using this one a lot.

One of the reasons this has been a favorite the past month is that it's a terrific seam-guide - a nice feature when you're sewing on an almost-70-year-old sewing machine that doesn't have a 1/4" foot or seam allowance markings.  It's also very useful if you're joining triangles and want to make sure the pieces are staying straight.  (Again... just saying.)

Because I finished a quilt top, I needed batting and I decided to try this one from The Warm Company. While I'd heard about it, I hadn't seen it before.

Warm & Plush. The Warm folks describe it this way - "it's the warmest natural batting ever manufactured; it has no scrim, just 50% more soft, warm cotton fibers."  I'll let you know how it goes.

Cute stuff - there's always some of that.  These adorable notecards are based on vintage McCall's patterns - dig that dude's outfit.

And there are notebooks...

Do you have hoops - either the embroidery or quilting kind?

These are the new Holdi Hoop Holders from the folks at Smartneedle.  They mount on the way - drywall screws are included - but well... these aren't my walls so I improvised.  (I didn't have any hoops on hand either and since it's raining-storming like crazy outside, I wasn't all that motivated to go get a few.)

But they're really cool and I expect that someone will claim these soon.

Of course I had to see if any new books had arrived...

Scraps Inc. Vol. 2 from Susanne Woods and Lucky Spool.  The book is a compilation and includes many of our favorite designer-types - Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew, Amy Friend of During Quiet Time, Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter, John Q. Adams of Quilt Dad, and our own April Rosenthal of Prairie Grass Patterns and Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life.

One funny thing about this book - the book above is what was in the warehouse but this is the cover that shows on the United Notions' website.

Do I need both?  How can I be sure that the entire book is the same?

Cath Kidston.  Enough said, right?  The projects are divided into categories - Basics, Home, Travel, Bags and Kids' Stuff.  There is a wonderful sewing machine cover and a a Tortoise pincushion, a laptop case and a couple of terrific bags.  The little pink tabs in the upper corner - there are more than a dozen of those flagging projects that may have caught my eye.

And finally... I didn't find this in the warehouse, it just sort of appeared on my desk.  (It's the best kind of magic!)

Make it Mini - Small Quilts and More from the folks at American Patchwork & Quilting.  Compiled and edited by Jody Sanders, it also features contributions from several of our favorite people - Gudrun Erla of GE Designs, Jo Morton, Rachel Griffith of p.s. i quilt, and Moda's Sherri McConnell and Betsy Chutchian.

I did find a few patterns... but those will have to wait until next time.

Now that I've got light, tools and a couple of books filled with projects, I think it's time to venture into the sample room.

Maybe I can sneak in before Chelair turns on the security cameras...